Permanent Potato Bed!

[veggiechicken]

Another nutty idea coming up!
What problems do you foresee if a bed grew only potatoes. No rotation. Dig up the big potatoes, Leave the little ones in situ to grow again.

I never seem to clear a bed completely, there are potatoes springing up all over the place, even in December So I'm wondering if I can turn this to my advantage and let them grow. No more chitting and planting, just let nature take over.

There has to be a problem, or everyone would do it! What is it?

[Bigmallly]

The main problem I foresee is frost but then again they do tend to recover, depends on the severity I suppose. Not sure if blight can survive in the soil.

[mothhawk]

Year on year you may get more and more slugs living in the bed, once they find food 'on tap' all year round. Potatoes don't seem to have a lot of resistance to slugs.

[bramble]

Can't really answer anybodys questions but, my fsther gree his potatoes in the same part of the garden every year and he never had any problems at all.
He never left any in the ground, but planted a new crop every year.

[bramble]

Another nutty idea coming up!
What problems do you foresee if a bed grew only potatoes. No rotation. Dig up the big potatoes, Leave the little ones in situ to grow again.

I never seem to clear a bed completely, there are potatoes springing up all over the place, even in December So I'm wondering if I can turn this to my advantage and let them grow. No more chitting and planting, just let nature take over.

There has to be a problem, or everyone would do it! What is it?

We probably dont do it for that very reason.
Being continually told to rotate, clear the crop properly, risk of disease/blight, slugs, etc.
Perhaps you will be the pioneer Veggichicken. ☺

[veggiechicken]

I'm just naturally lazy, Bramble - and mean If I could find a way of getting out of buying seed tatties and having the house full of chitting spuds in spring, plus the effort of planting them out, I'd do it

[Bill HH]

I am unable to practice proper crop rotation due to lack of space, it has been my experience that if you replace the nutrients every year things seem to do ok. My worry would be frost with potatoes but you could cut all the greenery down in November perhaps or pull a sheet over them. Or just let the frost do its job and hope the underground spuds survive. keep us informed VC.

[Scoot]

I always miss the little spuds and they pop up the next year in amongst something else that has been planted there. It's a bit of a bugger at times.

[veggiechicken]

That's why I thought I'd leave them in situ and not try to remove them.

[lottie dolly]

Don't know if this is of any help but,as peeps well know we always get stray ones coming up,what i did a few months ago was,as i was clearing ground on my move it about,i found several salad blue that had sprung up from year 2014,i then replanted them straight away a few at a time,so not to dry out,only instead of a few inch,i put them further down like they were on digging up,just to replicate what was done last year,i covered the ground with mulch/dead material to you and me,with a mypex cover over the lot,this is an experiment,if it works out,my thinking is,if they grow anyway,why not plant them this time of year or sooner,instead of FEB MARCH,if they deep enough,no need to hoe up,and the topping of should keep them warmer,we shall see next year,i hope it does work,will save some time and energy,

[Snadger]

Sorry VC but I reckon you're courting a recipe for disaster!It goes against everything that has bean learned over the eons.

Some crops are suited to monoculture, onions leeks etc but only because the soil is beefed up and added to every year.

Its your garden and by all means go down the perennial spud avenue, but diminishing returns will drive you home from your wayward path!

PS I bet you go for it now just to pee others off!

[RaptorUK]

Allotment plot next to mine is 95% potatoes every year, year in year out, the Gent doing it has been doing it for many many years and always gets a great crop as far as I am aware.

[veggiechicken]

Of course, I'll go for it, Snadge!! Have to - just to prove to myself whether its worthwhile, or not!
So far, nobody has said anything that's really put me off trying it. I have a spare patch where there were spuds last year, so I may cover it over for a few weeks, then see what emerges in spring.
The spuds that are already through I'll leave to see if they survive the winter.
It's a Plan, I have a Plan

[Bigmallly]

Allotment plot next to mine is 95% potatoes every year, year in year out, the Gent doing it has been doing it for many many years and always gets a great crop as far as I am aware.

A neighbouring plot holder to me used to only grow spuds, his idea of crop rotation was to plant rows NS one year then EW the next................

[Aberdeenplotter]

The guy who had my plot before me grew nowt but spuds for 15 years or so and latterly he got virtually no return which is why he gave the plot up.

However spuds will produce ok on the same spot for a few years but eventually the ground will become ''potato sick'' probably because of diminishing amounts of fertilisers needed to sustain the crop.

I've been adding huge amounts of fym and home made compost to my plot to try to get the fertility back up and also using granular fertiliser with spuds.

I don't allow 'volunteers' to grow and dig them up as soon as they show face but I have no issues with anyone trying to get an easy crop from them.